Radio transmission/radio reception devices for communication within a motor vehicle communication system interacting in ad-hoc fashion (e.g., wireless) are being used for communication between road users with one another. Interacting in ad-hoc fashion provides ad-hoc networks (e.g., essentially self-organizing networks formed or operated spontaneously by direct communication of the network nodes involved). Road traffic communication includes motor vehicles, which is why the communication is also referred to as “car to car” (C2C) communication. However, this communication also includes communication to the traffic infrastructure that is formed, for example, by base stations formed by “roadside units” such as, for example, traffic lights, for conveying the communication or propagating information to the information networks connected to the traffic light or controlling traffic centers. This communication is referred to as “car to infrastructure” (C2I). Since, in principle, motor vehicles do not represent the only road users, but bicycles or bicycle riders and pedestrians are also involved, this communication also includes the exchange of data between radio transmission/radio reception devices operated by bicycles or bicycle riders and pedestrians and the radio transmission/radio reception devices operated by motor vehicles. There is no term or acronym for these, but the communications are included in the term of “car to X” technology or communication (C2X) known for the generalization of this type of communication.
In this context, C2C, C2I, and C2X is to be distinguished from the known mobile radio communication since the former takes place in automated fashion (e.g., predominantly without triggering or required actions by the user) and serves the purpose of collecting and exchanging traffic-related data so that it is possible to respond appropriately to all possible traffic situations (e.g., by warnings to the user or automated responses by the motor vehicle).
For the collection of data and the exchange thereof, it is known that each motor vehicle of the plurality of motor vehicles sends out a cyclic message at an interval of a few seconds that contains a vehicle ID and information on speed, direction, and position. The sending out of these standard cyclic messages (e.g., “beacons”) additionally to other messages, especially on much-traveled traffic routes, may lead to overload situations. For example, blocking of pending data may occur since the resources provided for the wireless motor vehicle communication are limited. If other road users such as pedestrians and bicycles are also added to this, the situation is additionally aggravated.